His appearance will be the first time a transgender actor has portrayed a transgender character in UK soap history.

He added: "I can honestly say that I have now fulfilled my two biggest dreams - to be living my life as a man and to be an actor. I cannot wait to really get stuck in with filming and I look forward to seeing what is in store for my character."

Kyle, who is set to bound onto the scene with his own stock of secrets, will make a brief appearance on Albert Square before permanently returning at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins announced earlier this year he was planning to weave a transgender character into the programme as he likes to keep the storylines relevant to ever-changing society.

He explained: "'EastEnders' has always led the way in changing audience's perceptions. This isn't about tokenism."

He added: "The story team have worked with Riley to create a character who is fresh and relatable."